390 Galaxie 4 speed - how to put it behind a 289?

spl310 · #1 (**permalink**) 08-22-2006, 12:22 PM

I have a 4 speed toploader out of a Galaxie. The Galaxie had a 390, so this has the small input shaft. I have been told that the input shaft is shorter than the small block input shaft. If that is true, how can I put this behind my 289 with the minimum amount of changes? What is the best way to do it?

Clois Harlan · #2 (**permalink**) 08-22-2006, 01:27 PM

I put a Galaxie 500 toploader close ratio (small input) behind a 260 V8 1963 Fairlane 500 in the late sixties. No problem with the hook up but I did have an issue with my first gear because I was running something like a 3.08 : 1 rear gears. What is the number on the transmission (RUGAH or Rug??) etc. Find that number on the transmission case and go to Davids web site and determine exactly what ratio your transmission are.

http://www.davidkeetoploaders.com/idchart1.htm

Clois

blykins · #3 (**permalink**) 08-22-2006, 02:47 PM

The input shaft is not shorter....but the pilot is at the end of the input shaft. A SB pilot is 1.125". A BB is .750". A big block pilot may not be long enough to engage the pilot bushing.

You could call David Kee and ask him....but to change that input shaft is a nice little project. You have to pull the clustergear shaft out and drop the clustergears to the bottom to allow the input shaft to come out.

SuperHart · #4 (**permalink**) 08-22-2006, 05:02 PM

I had that same problem when I originally put together my roadster. When I tried to button everything up the nose of the input shaft was too short to properly engage with the pilot bushing. The guy at my local racing transmission shop made a longer pilot bushing (1/2" longer I believe) out of bronze stock that engaged the 390 pilot shaft. It worked very well but I have since swapped in a super duty T-5 that I like much better. Ended up being able to use the same clutch, fork etc. because I had set up the top loader bell housing to use the Mustang cable clutch setup.

spl310 · #5 (**permalink**) 08-23-2006, 08:14 PM

Thanks. I am far from being to the point of this being an issue, but it came to mind, so I thought I would ask. The longer bushing has possibilities...

blykins · #6 (**permalink**) 08-24-2006, 03:54 AM

I think David Kee would advise against the bushing. I seem to remember talking to him about this very subject....and I think he had a couple bad experiences with longer bushings.

spl310 · #7 (**permalink**) 08-25-2006, 08:11 AM

Well, being that his livelihood is building and selling toploaders and their parts, I would expect him to say that the input shaft should be swapped. A local guy also told me aobut the bushing idea. I wonder if anyone on the forum had a bad problem with that solution.

Ford of France · #8 (**permalink**) 10-31-2006, 11:37 AM

Changing out the input is pretty easy. Recently I did one on a box that had a damaged input. It took all of about five minutes to complete. You don't need to drop the entire cluster to the bottom of the case. If you can drop that end of the cluster down a quarter of an inch, you can remove the input without any trouble. Just take it slow and easy.

The extended bushing idea is not particularly a good one. I have seen those fail over time. If it does, you run the risk of taking out the input as well as the 4th. gear cluster I know that some people use it as a short cut, but it is advisable to swap out the correct input.